Car seal



B. BORLAND Sept. 20, 1938.

CAR SEAL Filed Sept. 16. 1936 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 PATENT OFFICE GAR SEAL Bruce Borland, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 16, 1936, Serial No. 101,049

6 Claims.

This invention relates to seals of the type made from narrow strips of tin or metal which are used for sealing cars and for various other similar purposes. Car thefts are sufficiently large so I that it is highly desirable that they be provided with satisfactory or effective seals. Such seals when placed on the cars are usually tested or inspected at various points and if they have been found tampered with or broken, it greatly assists in locating the point of theft. Many car seals of this type such as are now in common use are constructed so that it is possible for an unauthorized person to disconnect or separate the sealing portions and again reseal or connect the same so that it is difficult or impossible for the inspectors to' readily determine whether or not they have been tampered with. This is done in some cases by stretching the eye portion of the seal over the riveted button or head and then returning the same and pinching or pressing the parts together.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved seal which cannot be readily broken or disconnected, and again connected or sealed, or which cannot be readily unsealed and then fastened or brought together to simulate a properly sealed device.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a seal having the metal around the hole or opening reinforced for a short distance to strengthen the same for sealing purposes; to provide a seal having scored or weakened portions adjacent to the sides of the hole whereby said scored portions will become split or broken when stretched during the pressing or sealing operation; to provide a seal having scored or weakened portions which will be further weakened or broken during the sealing operation, but which will not affect the proper sealing of the device; to provide a seal which, when once broken, cannot be readily put together to simulate an unbroken seal; and to provide such other advantages as will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention,

Figure l is a plan view of my improved seal;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the parts in sealed relation;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a sealed strip and indicating the broken portions; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a slightly modified form of construction.

My improved seal is formed of a strip 6 of tin or other suitable metal and of suitable width for such purposes, the parts in the drawing being shown on an enlarged scale for convenience in illustration. The strip has a button 1 preferably adjacent to one end thereof and a conical or curved protuberance or hump 8 spaced therefrom and preferably arranged adjacent to the opposite end. The hump has a hole 9 therethrough which is adapted to fit closely over the button 1 and the edge of the metal defining the hole is turned or folded back upon itself to provide a reinforcing flange or ring l0 which strengthens the portion immediately contacting with the button and tends to prevent breaking thereof during the sealing operation.

The walls of the hump or projection 8 are scored or grooved as shown at H on either side of the hole, such scoring extending from approximately the beaded portion to the edges of the strip.

When the ends of the seal are to be fastened together as shown in Figure 3, the button I is inserted in the hole 9 from the beaded or reinforced side thereof and the parts are then pressed together in a seal press or suitable tool so that they assume the position shown in such figure. The strengthening of the metal around the periphery of the hole is such that there is little or no danger of the adjacent walls being ruptured during the sealing operation while at the same time the weakening or scoring of the adjacent metal as shown at I I is such that the spreading of the metal during the sealing operation will cause these parts to be broken or fractured as shown in Figure 4, which shows the condition of the end of the seal after the sealing operation and before the seal has been broken. After the seal has been broken, one or both sides of the strip adjacent to the scored portions l I will be broken and the parts cannot be returned to sealed position. While the narrow reinforced bead around the hole is such that the seal will be sufliciently strong for sealing purposes, there is not sufiicient metal to permit stretching of the hole portion over the sealed button without breaking the same.

From this description it will be seen that I provide a particularly simple and effective sealing arrangement whereby tampering with the seals by unauthorized persons may be readily detected for the reasons above given.

In the modified form of construction shown in Figure 5, the seal strip Ed is provided with a hole 9a which however is not surrounded by a beaded portion as above described. The walls are however scored or grooved as shown at Ila. in order to weaken the same for the purposes above described and the operation and use thereof would be substantially as in accordance with the above description.

While I have shown a preferred form of my invention, changes may be made in order to adapt the seal for different uses and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction shown and described except as specified in the following claims, in which I claim:

1. A seal of the character set forth, comprising a strip of suitable material having a hole therein and having the material adjacent to the hole weakened but not severed, and an integrally formed button on the strip adapted to be inserted in the hole and riveted therein, the weakening being such that the material will be broken at such points during the riveting operation.

2. A seal comprising a strip of metal having a hole therein and having scores extending from points adjacent to the hole to the sides of the strip and a button on the strip for engagement with the hole, the scoring being such that the scored portions will be ruptured when the fastening portions are pressed to seal the same.

3. A seal comprising a strip of thin metal having a button at one end and having a protuberance at the opposite end with a hole therethrough for receiving the button, the metal forming the sides of the protuberance having scores from the edges to points adjacent to the periphery of th hole.

4. A seal formed of thin metal having an integrally formed button and having a hole spaced away from the button, and having the metal forming the periphery of the hole folded back upon itself to reinforce the same and the sides of the strip having scores which are substantially radial with respect to the hole.

5. A car seal comprising a narrow strip of thin metal having an integrally formed button adjacent to one end thereof and having an integrally formed protuberance adjacent to the opposite end thereof with a hole therethrough, and having folded back upon itself throughout'the entire 25 

